Computerized address books and personal information managers are well known in the computing field. Software applications such as email programs, instant messaging programs and computer fax programs include or have access to computerized address books of one form or another. Such conventional address book utilizing applications generally store address book information locally on a computing device. Often the address books are in incompatible formats, requiring that the information contained in each application's address book be individually keyed in. Even where some of the format fields are common, common information must often be entered multiple times, once for each address book. Some applications have integrated address book in a way that allows a personal information manager, that can send email, stores physical address information along with email addresses. Other address book integration examples include email program address books that include instant messenger handles or fax program address books that include physical addresses and voice phone numbers.
While integrated address books included in or accessible by applications running on client computers have solved some of the previous problems of having to enter identical or similar information multiple times (once for each different type of program), such address books are ineffective when applications are located on remote computers connected to client computers or devices via a network. More specifically, networks are also well known in the computing field. By definition, a network is a group of computers and associated devices that are connected by communication facilities or links. An internetwork, in turn, is the joining of multiple computer networks, both similar and dissimilar, by means of gateways or routers that facilitate data transfer and conversion from the multiple computer networks. A well known abbreviation for the term internetwork is “internet.” As currently understood, the capitalized term “Internet” refers to the collection of networks and routers that use the Internet protocol to communicate with one another. The Internet has recently seen increased growth by virtue of its ability to link computers based throughout the world. As will be better appreciated from the following description, the present invention could find use in many network environments. However, for purposes of discussion, the Internet is used as an exemplary network environment for implementing the present invention.
The Internet has quickly become a popular method of disseminating information due, in large part, to its ability to deliver information quickly and reliably. To retrieve online resources or other data over the network, a user typically uses communications or network browsing software. A common way of retrieving online resources is to use such communications or network browsing software to access online resources at a uniform resource identifier (“URI”) address such as a uniform resource locator (“URL”) address that indicates the location of the online resources on a server connected to the network or internetwork.
As the Internet (and other networks) have developed some of the address book utilizing applications that were formerly performed on client devices are now provided by online resources accessed via the network. One example is a Web-based email network application. As a result, the storage of address book information was shifted from client devices to online accessible devices. Online address book information storage eliminates the need for a user to export address book information when the user changes to a new device and/or adds a new device to the user's inventory of devices.
Prior attempts have been made to integrate separate address book information associated with network applications. One example is an integrated online contact list that compares all addresses in an online contact list to the addresses in an online buddy list to determine which contacts in the contact list should have an indicator showing that the contact has its instant messaging capabilities enabled (contacts with instant messaging capabilities are commonly referred to as “buddies”). This system is inefficient and stores unnecessarily redundant information. More specifically, this system retains two separate lists, an online contact list and an online buddy list, each of which can be separately updated. If inconsistent information is added to either list, their comparisons and pairings break down. For example, if the email address of a contact in the address book of a Web based email application was different than the email address of a buddy in the address book of a Web based instant messenger application, the pairing between the two is broken unless some other type of link is used to maintain the pairing.
Even though such prior attempts allowed for secure access to a user's network-based application's address book information, the information was not available to an authenticated user in an integrated fashion.
Accordingly, there is a need for an address book information clearinghouse, and an interface thereto, that provides secure access and management of address book information for particular users to multiple client device applications and/or network-based applications. It is desirable that any address book clearinghouse interface accept and provide information in an application independent manner.